


The Hit

by QianLan



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, But No One Major, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Off-screen Deaths, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-22 03:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11958600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/pseuds/QianLan
Summary: Poe Dameron, millionaire philanthropist, wakes up tied to a chair with an assassin staring at him.There’s been a hit out on Dameron for eighteen months, it seems.Poe’s clumsiness—and a mysterious guardian angel—have been keeping Poe alive, but now, it’s time for Poe Dameron to die.If only things were that straightforward...COMPLETE





	1. Play Nice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sourlander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sourlander/gifts).



> [Sourlander](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Sourlander/pseuds/Sourlander) sent me the following prompt: “You’ve always been a clumsy person. One day, you wake up tied to a chair, and in front of you is the best Hitman in the world, who has been trying to kill you for years.”
> 
> Needless to say, I started writing and this thing spun into a multi-chapter fic…
> 
>  
> 
> Also, it's a minor thing but I didn't want to gender the cat, so I didn't.

 

 

Poe awoke, tied to a chair in a dim room.  _Kriff_ , he thought.  He slowly raised his head, his neck stiff from what he guessed were several hours of his head hanging limp.  He stretched it, letting out a groan.

 

There was movement nearby.  Poe tensed, trying for the life of him to figure out an angle.  _Get them talking.  Get them talking and see what they want._   Someone opened a door and came in.  They walked to the far side of the room, grabbed another chair and drug it over.

 

Poe tried to memorize every line of his captor, every scar, anything that might help him get a read on the situation.  _Not anyone I know_ , Poe thought as he studied the man.  Whoever he was, he was mostly hidden by shadows, but he looked to be about 5’8” or 5’9”, well proportioned.  _Young_ , Poe thought, as the man sat down across from Poe with a smirk on his face.

 

“I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure,” Poe drawled out.

 

The man’s smirk turned into a smile.  “Oh, I know you, Mr. Dameron, although I doubt you’ve ever seen me.”

 

Poe pulled against the ropes holding him to the chair.

 

The man put his right ankle on his left leg and leaned back.  “Poe Dameron,” he said, “Ex-Air Force.  Founder of Alliance Energy.  Gave it all up three years ago so that he could spend his time giving his money away.”  The man shook his head.  “Estimated worth was close to half a billion then, but I think it’s a bit less now.”

 

“You want money,” Poe bit out.

 

“No.”

 

Poe was visibly surprised at that, but he quickly recovered.  “A favor, then?  Or am I leverage?”

 

The man laughed.  “You don’t rattle easily.”  He shrugged.  “But I already knew that.”

 

Poe squinted, trying to get a better look at the man.  He was handsome, with a warm kind of smile and...  Poe blinked.  _He’s a bad guy, Dameron_.  “So, you’ve been following me?”

 

“You could say that,” the man said.

 

Poe waited for clarification.  When none came, he said, “You gonna tell me or we just gonna stare at each other all night?”

 

The man got up.  “As nice as that might be, how would you like to take a walk, Mr. Dameron?”

 

Poe chuckled.  “Sure.  Untie me.  Let’s go for a walk.”

 

The man walked behind Poe.  “I’m going to untie you, but you have to promise to be good.”

 

Poe snorted.

 

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes.  “You tied me to a kriffing chair, buddy.”

 

“So I did,” the man said, pulling at the ropes.

 

As soon as Poe felt them give, he jumped from the chair and turned, swinging.

 

The other man stepped back and calmly said, “Mr. Dameron, I said to play nice.”

 

Poe took another swing.  The man caught his hand and spun Poe, grabbing both of his arms behind his back.  He then pushed Poe towards the nearest wall, pressing his own body into Poe’s.  He leaned in, his lips at Poe’s ear.  “I’ll repeat, Mr. Dameron, play nice.”

 

“Fine,” Poe hissed out.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes,” Poe said.

 

The man stepped back and let Poe go.

 

Poe shook his arms and legs, stretching after being seated for so long.

 

The man walked to the door.  He opened it and gestured for Poe to go out. 

 

Poe kept his eyes on the man as he tentatively walked past him.  “This some sort of game?”

 

“Not at all, Mr. Dameron.”  He walked across the dim hall, stepped up to another door, and opened it.  Inside, it looked like a typical living room—there was a huge couch, a big screen tv, and several other chairs and side tables.  At the back, there was a small desk with a lamp on it.

 

It looked nice, but Poe didn’t trust it.

 

Still, he walked in.

 

“Please have a seat,” the man said, gesturing to the couch. 

 

Poe sat as the man turned on the tv.  Poe then froze as he watched footage of himself leaving his house.  Then, there was footage of him at a meeting.  Jogging in the park.  At the opera.  “What…” 

 

The man was standing behind Poe.  “Typical surveillance package.  Most of this stuff is from last year.”

 

Poe turned to look at the man.  “I...what…”

 

The man turned off the tv and walked to the desk.  He picked up a manila folder and brought it over.  He let it fall into Poe’s lap before sitting next to him.  “Read it.”

 

Poe opened the folder and saw his life story laid out.  There were pictures, social security numbers, his parents’ names and information…  Poe looked up.  “What is all this?”

 

“Let me tell you a story, Mr. Dameron,” the man said.  “Three years ago, you left Alliance Energy.  You sold off your shares and put the company into the hands of one Miss Rey Kenobi, and by all accounts, she is doing tremendous work there.  Over the years at Alliance, you’d managed to make a few enemies.  But those were small potatoes.”  The man rose and started walking.  “No, the problems really began after you left and you took your fortune and started investing.  The money to the scientists working on climate change.  Contributions to the SPLC.  Grants for students studying environmental science and social justice—no matter where they came from.  Hell, you’ve sponsored more undocumented students than…”  The man shook his head.  “You caught the eyes of some really dangerous people.”

 

“What?  Giving my money away is bad?”

 

The man laughed.  “Not at all, but you seem to be trying to make the world a better place—and you’re actually seeing results.”  He started walking again.  “I don’t think these people would’ve minded in the least, if you were just tossing your money around, but you’ve been smart, and more importantly, the people and projects you’ve been funding have been smart.”  He stopped and faced Poe.  “You’ve been making a real difference in the world.”

 

“And that’s a problem?”

 

“In a sense.”

 

“I don’t follow.”

 

The man crossed his arms.  “It’s why they hired me to kill you.”

 

Poe’s breath caught.  “They what,” he managed.

 

The man went to the far side of the room, through a door, and came back a minute later with two glasses in his hands.  He held one in front of Poe.  “You’ll feel better when you drink.”

 

“I seriously doubt that.”

 

The man laughed.  “Take the water and drink, Dameron.”

 

Poe did as he was told.  He started sipping but pretty soon he had gulped down the entire glass.  As he wiped his arm across his mouth, the man asked, “Feel better?”

 

“Not really.”

 

The man laughed.  “Didn’t think so.”

 

“So, I’m here to…”  Poe looked up at him with the saddest eyes the man had ever seen.  “You’re gonna kill me,” Poe whispered.

 

The man set his glass down and went back to the couch.  He sat down next to Poe.  “Let me tell you another story.”

 

“But,” Poe started.  The man pressed a finger to Poe’s lips.

 

“Once upon a time, there was a small boy who was kidnapped from his family and raised by a paramilitary organization, known as the First Order.”

 

Poe frowned.

 

“Heard of them?”

 

Poe nodded.

 

“Anyway, the First Order trained this boy to be an assassin.  From the time he was five, until he was in his twenties, they taught him how to kill, cheat, and steal.  And he was very good at it.”  The man looked away from Poe.  “But, while they tried to indoctrinate him into their politics, it never took.  And on his first solo assignment out in the field, he bolted.  He went deep underground, constructed a new identity and…”  He turned back to Poe.  “The boy had intended to go straight, but he saw the evil that the First Order was doing in the world, and he knew he couldn’t just let it be.”  The man stood, his back to Poe.  “So, the boy used his training and started hitting back at the Order.”  He looked at Poe over his shoulder.  “That meant he had to run in some pretty dangerous circles, deal with some pretty slimy people over the years, but…”  He shook his head, falling silent as he got lost in his thoughts.

 

Eventually, Poe couldn’t help himself.  “What does this have to do with me?”

 

The man turned, examining Poe.  “Eighteen months ago, the First Order put a hit out on you.  I accepted it under an assumed name, but I guess they were either on to me or they had several assassins lined up for the job.”  He sat down and reached for the remote.  The tv flicked back on.  He pressed a button and Poe saw a conference he had attended two years ago.

 

“Boston,” the man said.  “You tripped going up to the podium.”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“Saved your life,” the man said.  He froze the image.  “See that puff of smoke, just as you walk up to talk?”  He zoomed in on the corner of the image. 

 

“You’re saying that’s…”

 

The man nodded.  “His name was Mitaka.  I got to him before he could get a second shot off.”  He pressed a button.  “Beijing, last year.”

 

“Kriff, Poe said.  It was pictures of him visiting a university in China.  “But I…”  He looked over to the man.

 

“Do you remember falling out of your car on the way to a luncheon?”

 

“Yes, but—”

 

“Her name was Phasma.  People called her the Captain.”  He shook his head.  “She couldn’t take the shot because you fell.  Gave me time to get to her.”  He pressed another button.  “San Diego.  Meeting with U.O. Statura and some of the other organizers of the Rebellion Group.”

 

“When I fell off my bike,” Poe said.

 

The man chuckled.  “Yep.  You are one clumsy son-of-a-gun, but it’s managed to save your life.”  A grainy picture of a mean-looking old man appeared on the tv.  “His name was Tarkin.” 

 

The man started to press the button to go to the next picture when Poe put his hand over the man’s.  “No.  No more.”  He fell back into the couch, closing his eyes.  “How many?”

 

“Attempts on your life?”

 

Poe nodded.

 

“Seven.”

 

“Kriff,” Poe whispered.  “You have anything stronger than water?”

 

The man chuckled.  “Sure.”

 

Poe felt the couch dip as the man got up.  A few minutes later, the man cleared his throat.  Poe opened his eyes to see the man right in front of him, a glass of something dark and smoky in front of him.  “Definitely sip this.”

 

Poe nodded, taking the glass.  After his first sip, he asked, “You have a name?”

 

“Have lots of names.”

 

Poe closed his eyes.  “Could you just be straight with—”

 

“Finn,” the man said, sitting down next to him.  “Call me Finn.”

 

Poe sighed.  “Okay, Finn, so you’re telling me that this evil organization wants me dead, and they’ve been trying for nearly two years to murder me but that…”  He shook his head and took another drink.

 

“But that your dumb luck and my skill have been keeping you alive,” Finn finished.  “Yes.”

 

“Kriff,” Poe said.  He took another drink.  “What was with the whole set-up earlier?”

 

“Sorry about that.  Needed it to look real, so I could send pictures to some interested parties.”  He looked a bit conflicted as he said, “and in a little bit, I’m afraid we’re going to have to ruin your suit.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Well, I need to show them that you’re dead, so I have some friends of mine coming—and we’re going to stage your death.”

 

“Kriff,” Poe said, taking another drink.  “So, I’m just supposed to die?”

 

“For about two weeks, yes,” Finn said.  “That should give me enough time to root out who exactly hired the hit and dismantle their operation.”

 

“But I’ve got—”

 

“Mr. Dameron, this is the only way I can ensure that these people will stop coming after you.”  Finn finished off his drink and rose.  “I know it’s a lot to take in—”

 

“You think?”

 

“—but I assure you, this is the only way to make sure you’re going to be safe.”

 

Poe closed his eyes, trying to let everything sink in.  Suddenly, he sat up.  “My cat!”

 

“What?”

 

“I have a cat, orange and white markings, one of a kind.”  He looked up at Finn.  “Its name is BB-8.  I can’t just leave it.”  Poe stood, starting forward.  “We have to go—”

 

Finn took Poe’s shoulders gently.  “Bee is already at your friend Jess’ house with a note that you needed to leave town.”

 

“Jess hates cats.”

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.  “It was the best I could do on short notice.”

 

“Yeah, right.”  Poe nodded.  “Thanks.”

 

Finn let Poe go.  “You’re welcome.”  He walked to the back of the room.

 

“What exactly am I supposed to do for the next two weeks?”

 

Finn gestured around.  “Feel free to roam the bunker.”  He nodded to a door at the far end of the room.  “I’ve made up the guest room for you and there’s a fully stocked kitchen on the other side.  The only room that’s locked is my office, so don’t go in there, but…” He shrugged.  “Play a lot of Madden?”

 

Poe closed his eyes.  “Bathroom?”

 

“Yeah,” Finn chuckled.  “Through the bedroom.  There’s a huge marble tub, if you want to use it.”

 

“Yeah,” Poe said, loosening his tie.  “I think that might be a good idea.” 

 

**# # # #**

 

Three hours later, after Poe had had another drink and a long bath, he felt somewhat better. 

 

Up until the moment he had to put his suit back on and go sit in the chair he’d woken up in.  Thankfully, he wasn’t tied up this time.

 

A thin man with huge eyes smiled at Poe as he dabbed makeup on Poe’s face.  “How bad do you want it to look?”

 

Finn walked over, staring down at Poe.  “Like I roughed him up,” he said. 

 

The other man nodded.

 

Poe’s leg was jiggling and his fingers were drumming on the arms of the chair as the new guy—Bastian—hummed and worked to make it look as if he had a black eye.  Bastian’s eyes caught his and he stilled.  He gave Poe a small smile.  “It’s okay, sweetie.  Finn and I know what we’re doing.”

 

There was noise in the hall and Poe jumped.  Bastian turned to Finn.

 

“That’ll be Snap,” Finn said.

 

Bastian closed his eyes.  “Dear lord,” he muttered.  Then, he smiled at Poe.  “Snap is our resident special effects expert.  He’ll be handling the gunshot wounds.”

 

Poe must’ve looked worried because Bastian hastened to add, “They’re squibs.  Harmless.”  He patted Poe’s hand.  “Trust us, sweetie.”

 

Poe closed his eyes.  “Sure.”  He heard Finn and the other man come in. 

 

“…and I was thinking just straight on, right to the chest.”

 

“Yeah, no head shots.  That’s way too involved.”

 

“And I need proof of death anyway,” Finn added.

 

Poe opened his eyes to find a burly man with a short beard standing in front of him.  “Hi!  I’m Snap.  I’m going to be killing you today.”

 

Poe forced a weak smile.

 

Bastian swatted Snap’s arm.  “I think he’s a little sensitive about that, Snap.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Snap said.  “Uh, sorry?”

 

Poe nodded.

 

Finn smiled and leaned in.  “It’s looking good, Bastian.”

 

“Of course, it is,” Bastian said, sharing a wink with Poe.

 

Poe closed his eyes.  “Uh, could you all just give me a…”  He pushed himself up.  “I just need a second.”  He walked out of the room and into the hall.  He walked down a few feet before leaning back.  He took a deep breath.  And then another.

 

He heard the door open and footsteps coming his way.  He sensed someone standing in front of him.  He opened his eyes to see Finn.  “You okay?”

 

“No,” Poe said.

 

Finn smiled.  “Lot to take in?”

 

Poe nodded.  “I…it’s just…”  He closed his eyes and leaned back again.  His eyes were watery.  “Someone wants me dead,” Poe whispered.  “Someone hates me enough to want me dead.”  He swallowed hard, tears on his cheeks.

 

“Poe,” Finn said quietly.  “Poe, it’s okay.”  He grabbed Poe’s shoulders and pulled him forward.  “I’m sorry I sprung all this on you, but I saw an opportunity and I took it.  I couldn’t…”  He shook his head.  “They were sending some really nasty people after you, and eventually your luck was going to run out.”  He could feel Poe shudder and then, Poe’s arms wound around his waist, his forehead settling on Finn’s shoulder.  Finn’s chest tightened.  He brought a hand up to pet Poe’s head.  “Shhhhh, it’s okay.”  He closed his eyes.

 

Bastian opened the door and stuck his head out.

 

Finn looked over and mouthed, _not now_.

 

Bastian nodded and quietly closed the door.

 

A few moments later, Poe leaned back.  “I’m good.”  He started wiping his eyes.

 

“Poe, it’s okay to be scared and overwhelmed.  Kriff, I can’t imagine what it must feel like.”

 

Poe licked his lips.  “It feels like I’m in Wonderland or the Upside-Down or…”

 

Finn laughed, “Or the darkest timeline?”

 

Poe laughed.  “Yeah.”

 

Finn squeezed Poe’s shoulders.  “You’re gonna be fine.  I promise.”

 

Poe met Finn’s eyes.  “Why are you doing this?  Why are you helpin’ me?”

 

Finn gave Poe a tiny lopsided smile.  “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Two hours later, Poe, Finn, Bastian, and Snap stood around looking at the footage they’d shot of Poe’s “assassination.” 

 

“Looks good,” Snap said.

 

“I’d buy it,” Bastian said.

 

“Great,” Poe said without feeling.

 

Finn paused the playback.  “Should work.”  He walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out two large stacks of cash, handing one to Snap and one to Bastian.  “Thank you, gentlemen.”

 

“Always,” said Snap.

 

Bastian gave Poe a quick hug.  “You’re going to be fine, sweetie.  Get some sleep.”

 

“Yeah,” Snap said.  “You look dead on your feet.”

 

Bastian groaned, walking over and slapping Snap’s arm.

 

“What?”

 

“Can’t you see he’s traumatized?”

 

“Sorry,” Snap said.

 

Poe nodded and walked to the couch.

 

“Goodbye,” Bastian said, pulling Snap towards the door.

 

Poe fell onto the couch.

 

“Do you want something to eat?”

 

Poe shook his head.

 

“Poe?”

 

Poe shrugged.  “I want to go home and wake up and have this not be real.”

 

Finn nodded.  “Well, I can offer you some lasagna and then, maybe some Overwatch?”

 

“Okay,” Poe said.

 

Finn walked over and took Poe’s arm, pulling him up off the couch.

 

“Do you have any ice cream?”

 

Finn threw back his head as he laughed.  “Any flavor you want.”

 

 


	2. Days Go By

 

 

The thing was, after the first few days, living in the bunker wasn’t so odd.

 

Poe would wake up, take a shower, and pad into the kitchen to find coffee waiting for him.  He’d make breakfast—always making enough for two, because he quickly discovered that Finn was the type to forget to eat.  Then, he’d wander to the living room to play video games or down to Finn’s library.  That was the what Poe called the room piled floor to ceiling with books.  There were first editions, old pulp romances, fiction, non-fiction, fan fiction…you name it, Finn had it.  Poe spent his first two hours in there just reading titles.

 

After playing video games or reading, Poe would walk over to Finn’s home gym.  He’d usually just go for a run on the treadmill but Finn had all sorts of equipment, and some days, Poe just played around, trying to figure out what everything did.

 

“You really need a pool,” Poe said one day as he fixed the two of them lunch.

 

Finn chuckled.  “That might be tricky.”

 

Poe shrugged.  “I’m rich.  When all this is over, I’m building you a pool.”

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.

 

“I'm building you a pool,” Poe said with a smile.

 

"Fine," Finn chuckled.  “I’d like that.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Early on, Poe decided to try to open every door in the bunker.  As Finn had already told him, he’d found all but one unlocked. 

 

He was free to roam, and as there were days when Finn would disappear for hours at a time or he’d go lock himself in his office, Poe had a lot of time to himself. 

 

But there were also days when Finn would sit down next to Poe to play games or work out while Poe was in the gym and they’d end up spending most of the day together. 

 

And that was the thing, from almost their first full day together, Poe and Finn fell into an easy friendship.

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Four…**

“No.  No.  No.  Go to the left.  My left.  MY LEFT!  Why aren’t you going to the left?  You have to go to the left and NO!  Not that way.  GRAH!”

 

“Are you going to talk the entire time?”

 

“Yes, now go down.  Down.  No, not there.  Over by that pipe thing.  The PIPE THING.  Seriously, are you even looking where I’m pointing!”

 

“Poe?”

 

“Down!  How hard is that?”

 

“Poe?”

 

“DOWN!  Down.  Down.  Downdowndowndown!”

 

“Poe, if you don’t shut up I’m going to kill you.”

 

“Finn, if you would just…”  There was a loud noise onscreen and Poe’s mouth fell open.  He turned to Finn.  “You just killed me.”

 

“I told you I was going to.”

 

“WHY IN THE HELL DID YOU JUST KILL ME?”

 

Finn raised an eyebrow and leveled a slightly amused and slightly pissed off stare at the other man.

 

Poe sat there, incredulous.

 

Finn closed his eyes.  “I killed you because ever since we started playing, you have talked non-stop, and not friendly chatter, but one of two modes.  Either you narrate every single thing happening to you or you start ordering me around.”

 

“I do not—”

 

Finn held up a hand, got up and grabbed a remote.  He then flicked through a few menus, changing from the video game screen to the security feed for the bunker.  He then pulled up the room, rewound and hit play.

 

After about a minute, Poe turned to Finn.  “Seriously, why didn’t you kill me sooner?”

 

Finn laughed.  “Are you always like that?”

 

Poe shrugged.  “I guess?”  He bit his lip and thought.  “Everyone else I play with must drown me out.”

 

“Or they have a mute button.”

 

Poe pushed Finn’s shoulder.  “Funny.”

 

“If I had one, I’d use it.”

 

Poe leaned back into the couch.  “Well, now what?”

 

“We keep playing.”

 

“Finn, if we keep playing, you’re going to kill me in real life and that will defeat the purpose of me being here.”

 

Finn shook his head and with a kind smile said, “I’ll try to drown it out.”

 

Poe smiled and sat back up.  “Thanks.”  As Finn clicked back over to the video game screen, Poe added, “And I’ll try to tone it down.”

 

**# # # #**

 

**Three minutes later…**

“Why are you going that way?  Go right.  No, right!  I said, right, Finn.  Go right!  RIGHT!”

 

“Poe.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“If you say _right_ one more time, I’m going to tie you back to the chair.”

 

“Roger,” Poe said.  “But seriously dude, you’re going the wrong way.”

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Five…**

“Okay, this is good,” Poe said, shoveling another forkful of food into his mouth.  “Like good good.”

 

Finn laughed.  “It’s even better when I’m finished making it.”

 

“Oh,” Poe said, slowly lowering another forkful from his mouth.  “Right.”

 

Finn shook his head and continued stirring the sauce.  “Started learning how to cook when I broke with the Order.  Lived with this family for a while and she was from…well, everywhere.  This is one of her recipes.”

 

“Well the chicken and rice and vegetables are already amazing.”

 

“Wait for the sauce.  Trust me,” Finn said, bringing his wooden spoon up to his mouth and blowing on it before trying it.  He hummed thoughtfully.  “Two more minutes.”

 

“You let me cook you breakfast and lunch every day, and it turns out you’re a culinary talent.  How is that fair?”

 

Finn chuckled.  “I do have work to do, you know?  Besides,” he said, ducking his head, “I like your cooking.”

 

Poe blushed and started fidgeting with his fork.

 

Finn picked up the pan and held it over the casserole dish full of chicken, rice, and vegetables and started pouring the dark green sauce over it.  Poe had seen tomatillos, jalapeños, spinach, and bacon go into it.  He wasn’t sure what else was in there.  He leaned over.  It smelled heavenly.

 

Finn went to the refrigerator and returned with white cheese crumbles which he spread over the sauce.  He stepped back.  “There.”  He pulled a serving spoon out of a drawer and then moved for two plates.  He put one down in front of Poe.

 

“Oh, so you want us to eat like normal people and not straight out of the dish?”

 

Finn chuckled.  “Something like that.”  He picked up Poe’s plate and loaded it with the casserole.

 

Poe got a huge forkful and closed his eyes.  It was one of the best things he’d ever eaten.  He moaned, and when he had finally swallowed his bite, he opened his eyes.  “Damn.”

 

Finn’s eyes were bright and Poe was pretty sure he was blushing just a bit.  Finn said, “I told you the sauce was amazing.”

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Eight…**

Poe watched as Finn did another squat and two thoughts occurred to him simultaneously.  The first was, _I’m ridiculously out of shape_ , which wasn’t entirely true.

 

The second was, _damn_.  Poe actually licked his lips as he watched little beads of sweat trickle down Finn’s back.

 

Finn stopped and turned and Poe jerked his head to the side to pretend that he’d been studying the wall next to him.  _Beige.  Hmmmmm_.  _Yes, very beige_.

 

He glanced back over as Finn got on the elliptical next to him.  Finn caught his eye and winked.

 

Poe tripped, fell, and went flying off the treadmill.

 

“Kriff,” Finn said, jumping off the elliptical and running to Poe’s side.

 

Poe sat up, more embarrassed than hurt.  He tried to stand and fell back onto his butt.  Finn was there, helping him, and he really wanted to jerk out of Finn’s grasp, but he closed his eyes, telling himself, _it’s not his fault you can’t stay on your feet_.  “Thanks,” he groaned.

 

“You okay,” Finn asked.

 

Poe nodded. 

 

He opened his eyes to find Finn looking at him, wide-eyed.

 

Poe’s knees gave out.

 

Finn caught him before he hit the ground.  “Ooooookay, I think you’re done for today.”

 

Poe nodded, keeping his eyes closed until he felt Finn put him in a chair.  He opened them as Finn knelt beside him.  “I’m fine,” Poe said.

 

Finn handed him a bottled water and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Really.”  _You are just ten kinds of distracting is all._

 

“Are you sure, because…”

 

Poe took a long drink and shook his head.  “I’m fine.”

 

Finn waited another moment before nodding and moving back to the elliptical.

 

“Perfectly fine,” Poe lied.

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Nine…**

Poe stumbled into the hall.  He’d been deep asleep but something had woken him.  He saw Finn pacing at the other end.  “Finn?”

 

Finn looked up.  “Kriff.  Did I wake you?”

 

Poe nodded and walked towards the other man.

 

“Sorry,” Finn said.  He shook his head with a sigh.  “I’ll be quieter.”

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“I just…”  He leaned against the wall.  “Sometimes I just…”  He slid down the wall until he was sitting.  He scrubbed his hands across his face.  “Can’t sleep.”

 

Poe slid down and sat next to him. 

 

“Long while back I had a…mission…”  Finn's hands balled into fists.  “Went really wrong.”

 

Poe nodded.

 

“Sometimes I just…”  He shook his head again.  He let his hands fall to the ground.  “Sorry I woke you.”

 

“No worries.”

 

“Yes, worries.”

 

Poe chuckled.  “We’ve all been there.”

 

“I know.  I just…”  Finn kicked his legs out.

 

Poe pushed himself up and then turned offering Finn a hand.  “Come on.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just come with me.”

 

Finn let Poe pull him up and then followed him into the living room.  Poe flicked on the tv, scrolling through a list of movie titles.  "Come on, come on," he mumbled.  Then, he burst into a wide smile.  He clicked on a title.

 

“ _Ladyhawke_?”

 

Poe nodded.  “Ever seen it?”

 

“No.”

 

“Perfect,” Poe said.  “It’s a great movie.  One of my Air Force buddies, it was his favorite film.  He must’ve watched it like forty times while we were serving together.”  He clicked play and then laid down with his head in Finn’s lap.  He pulled his legs up onto the couch with a yawn.  “You watch and I’ll sleep, and if you get antsy, just let me know.”

 

Finn had tensed when Poe’s head landed in his lap.

 

Poe turned and looked up at him.  “Just watch it.  You’ll like it.”  He gave Finn a smile and Finn nodded.

 

Poe let out a happy sigh and closed his eyes.

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn woke up with a start.  _I’m not in my room_.  He blinked and then remembered Poe bringing him into the living room to watch _Ladyhawke_. 

 

_Did he crawl into my lap?_   He closed his eyes.  _Holy kriffing hell!  What was I thinking?  Why did I let it go this far?_

 

Then, he realized, _is that…_   He opened his eyes to find that Poe’s head was on his shoulder and his leg was thrown around Finn’s.  _Kriff._   Somehow in the night, they’d ended up entangled on the couch.  Finn closed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge how warm and nice Poe felt in his arms.

 

_Seriously!_

_What in the kriff am I doing here?_

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Eleven…**

Finn had been gone for about four hours and Poe had walked past the door to the locked office twelve times.  Finn was wonderful—he had opened up the entire space to Poe, had cooked him meals, kept him company—but Poe’s curiosity was getting the better of him, and he knew that the likelihood that Finn was going to be gone again for any sustained period wasn’t great.

 

So, after the thirteenth time he walked by, he went into the kitchen, grabbed a few things and walked back to the door.

 

He knelt down and took a deep breath.  “You sure about this, Dameron?”  He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling in his gut that Finn was a nice guy and he shouldn’t invade his privacy.

 

Poe picked the lock in less than two minutes.

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn kicked off his shoes and looked at the clock.  It was 4:23am.  “Kriff,” he said into the empty space.  He leaned back and stretched his neck.

 

He looked at the security feed.  Poe was in bed and everything else looked good.  He watched Poe for a bit longer before frowning.  _It’s damn unprofessional_ , he told himself.  He scrubbed both hands over his face, leaning forward.  _I shouldn’t have let it get this far._

 

He looked down at the files he had on Dameron—eighteen months of research and surveillance and… _falling for a guy I’d never even met._

_Who only got better after I met him._

 

Finn leaned back into his chair with a sigh.  _I can’t let that distract me._

_He’s just a job._

_Yeah, right._

 

Then, a blinking red light caught his eye.

 

Finn pulled up a file on the screen: Security breached, 5:37pm.

 

Finn sighed and looked up what alarms had gone off and where.  “Kriff,” he said.  He pulled up the feed for his office and rewound until he found what he was looking for.  Poe stayed for about fifteen minutes, opening drawers and examining his systems.

 

Thankfully, everything important required a fingerprint—or more.

 

Finn shook his head.  “What were you looking for?”

 

He didn’t want to admit to himself that it hurt.

 

_Why don’t you trust me, Dameron?_

 

**# # # #**

 

**Day Twelve…**

Poe woke up to find no coffee in the kitchen and no sign of Finn anywhere.  He banged on the door to Finn’s office and heard nothing.  He contemplated breaking back in, but thought better of it, so he wandered the space, nervous, fidgety. 

 

Several hours later, as he sat in the living room, trying to focus on a game, he heard a noise in the hall.  He got up to investigate and came face to face with Snap, alongside a woman with a shock of blonde hair and a dark-haired man.  “What the kriff,” Poe said, backing up.

 

“Poe, good.  You’re here.  Need you to come with us,” he said.

 

“Huh?”

 

The woman grabbed Poe’s arm and started pulling him into the hall.  The dark-haired man went to his other side and helped tug Poe along.

 

Poe dug his feet into the ground.  “What is going on?  Snap?  Snap!”

 

Snap spun.  “Something went wrong.  Finn’s been hit.  He thinks this place may be compromised, so we’re getting you out of here.”  He nodded to the two people flanking Poe.  “This is Karé and Iolo.”  He started walking.  “Now come on!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poe's constant narration and talking during gameplay might be slightly autobiographical...


	3. Snap, Karé, Iolo, and Harter

 

 

Snap led them to one of the mirrors in the gym.  He pressed at one corner, revealing a door behind it.  They started to step through when Poe jerked out of Karé’s and Iolo’s grasps.  “Why should I trust you?”

 

“Why should you trust Finn,” Iolo quipped.

 

Karé slapped the back of his head.  “Because he’s trying to save him, idiot.”

 

Snap stopped, turned and put his hands on Poe’s shoulders.  “Poe, I…”  He shook his head.  “You just have to believe us, okay?”  He nodded and Karé and Iolo grabbed Poe again and pushed him through the door.  The group jogged down a dark hall until they came to a garage.  Snap nodded at an SUV.  “Get in.  Backseat,” he said to Poe.  “Iolo, you’re with me.  Karé, you’re with Dameron.”

 

Poe got in, buckling his seatbelt.  _I should trust them.  They’re Finn’s friends and I trust Finn and…_

_I trust Finn._

_Hell, I love—_

_What the kriff, Dameron?_

 

He shook his head and looked over at Karé, who was pulling a gun out of her boot.  “What the kriff?”  _Is everything going wonky?_

 

She looked at Poe like he was crazy.  “You know what Finn does, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well, what do you think his friends do?”

 

“I thought Snap was a special effects guy.”

 

The SUV pulled out of the garage into blinding light.  Poe blinked.  Snap said over his shoulder, “Well, I do that on the side.”

 

“Kriff,” Poe said.

 

“Don’t worry, Mr. Dameron,” said Iolo.  “We know what we’re doing.”

 

Both Snap and Karé snorted at that.

 

“What?” Iolo looked at both of them.  “Okay, fine.”  He turned to Poe.  “Most of the time, we know what we’re doing.”

 

“Except in Paris,” Karé muttered.

 

“And Dakar,” Snap grumbled.

 

“Fine,” Iolo said, “like ninety percent of the time, we know what we’re doing.”

 

“More like eighty,” Snap argued, taking a sharp left.

 

“I’d say seventy,” Karé countered.

 

“Really,” Iolo asked.  “Because I think we’re far more competent than that.”

 

“Hey guys,” Poe said. 

 

“Yeah,” Snap said.

 

“How about you stop trying to convince me you know what you’re doing and tell me what in the kriff is going on?”

 

“We already told you,” Karé said as Snap took another sharp left.  “Finn was hit; he thought his place was compromised, so he sent us to get you.”

 

Poe closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  “Okay, so by hit, you mean?”

 

“Shot,” Snap said.  “In the side.”

 

Poe’s face drained of color.

 

“He’ll be fine,” Karé said.

 

“But the op went sideways after that,” Iolo said.  “And he thought it best to send us to get you.”

 

“And here we are,” Snap said, getting onto the interstate. 

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“Safe house,” Karé said.

 

“Will Finn be there,” Poe asked.

 

Karé gave him a strange look before smiling and saying, “Yes.”

 

“How long?”

 

“It’s about an hour away,” Snap said.  “Kun, we have any tails?”

 

Karé turned, watching their rear.  “None so far.”

 

“Well, keep me posted.”

 

**# # # #**

 

The rest of the ride was silent, and an hour later, as they pulled into a non-descript suburban driveway, Poe was dozing.

 

Karé nudged him with her foot.  “We’re here,” she whispered.

 

“Mmmmmmm,” Poe said, pushing his head up from the window.  He blinked and looked around.  “Here?”

 

“Not what you expected,” Snap asked.

 

“No.”  Poe shook his head.  He blinked a few times.  “Not as fortress-y as I thought it would be.”

 

Iolo laughed.  “Well, we tried building a moat, but the neighbors got suspicious.”

 

Poe smiled and got out of the car.  He tried not to notice when Iolo and Karé flanked him, but by the time he got to the door, he asked, “Is this gonna be a thing now?”

 

“Finn told us to protect you,” Iolo said.  “We’re protecting you.”

 

Poe sighed as they walked inside.

 

“Finn,” Snap called.

 

“In here,” came Finn’s voice.

 

Poe instantly relaxed, hearing it.  As he turned the corner, though, he frowned.  Finn was standing, frowning, while an older woman taped gauze to his chest. 

 

“Iolo, Karé, Snap,” she said.  She looked at Poe.  “You must be Dameron.”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Poe said.

 

Finn said, “Poe, this is Harter Kalonia.”

 

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Poe said.

 

“Ma’am?”  Harter turned to Finn.  “Ma’am?”

 

“He’s polite,” Finn said.  “Give him a break.”

 

She smiled at Poe and nodded to the chair next to Finn.  “Sit down, Dameron, you look terrible.”

 

Finn squinted.  “Are you okay?”

 

“Really?”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re the one standing in the middle of the room getting medical treatment.  I’m fine,” Poe said, sitting.

 

“Just a scratch,” Finn said.

 

Harter, Karé, and Snap all snorted.

 

“What did I miss,” Iolo asked from the next room.

 

“Finn lying to me apparently,” Poe called back.

 

Harter smiled.  “I like this one.  He can keep up.”  She stepped back from Finn.  “Okay, I’ve done everything I can do.  I’d tell you nothing strenuous for at least 48 hours, but you’re not going to listen to me.”

 

“No, I’m not,” Finn said, carefully shrugging his shirt back on.

 

After his second groan, Poe stood and helped him with it.  “What happened,” he asked quietly.

 

Finn’s eyes darted away and he made to step back, but Poe held onto his shirt.  “Finn.”

 

Finn met his eyes.  “They made me.  The Order sent Hux and…”

 

Poe turned to the others.  “Hux?”

 

“One of the Order’s big wigs,” Snap said.  “Hux helped train Finn when he was younger.”

 

“Kriff,” Poe said, letting go of Finn and sitting down.

 

“Yeah,” Finn said, gingerly sitting next to Poe.  “Anyway, he spotted me and he got in a lucky shot.  I got out, but if they sent him, I couldn’t take any chances.”

 

“So, Finn sent the cavalry to come get you,” Iolo said.

 

“Cavalry, right,” Harter muttered.

 

“What’s the plan now, boss,” Snap asked, ignoring her.

 

Finn closed his eyes and shook his head.  “You track down Bastian?”

 

“He’s good,” Karé said.  “He’s with Yolo and Kaydel.”

 

“Good,” Finn said.

 

Poe frowned.  Finn looked beyond tired.  He looked around the room, but everyone seemed to be waiting for Finn to talk.  Poe asked, “What time is it?”

 

Karé looked at her watch.  “Just after eleven.”

 

“Okay,” Poe said.  “Then, I vote we table everything for the night and start planning tomorrow.”

 

Snap chuckled.  “Did I miss your promotion?”

 

“Poe, we’ve got to come up with a plan,” Finn said.

 

“Finn, you’re dead on your feet, and believe it or not, I’m not a complete mess.”  He turned to Snap, “And since in the end, this is about them wanting to kill me, I figure I ought to have a say in what happens.”

 

Snap looked at Finn, who nodded.  “Fine, we sleep,” Snap said.

 

“Good,” Iolo said, stretching.  “Because I am beat.”

 

Karé rolled her eyes.

 

“How are we doing this,” Snap asked.

 

Before Finn could answer, Karé said, “Finn’s wounded, so he’s out of rotation.  So are Poe and Harter.”

 

Harter snorted.  “Been doing this since before you were born,” she muttered.

 

“I’m not useless,” Poe grumbled.

 

Karé pointed to Snap.  “That means you and I will take first shift.  Iolo will spell you in four hours and then you’ll spell me four hours after that.”

 

Snap nodded.

 

Iolo started down the hall.  “See you in four,” he called back.

 

Finn rose.  “Harter, you want the other bedroom?”

 

The woman looked thoroughly unimpressed.  “One of us has a gunshot wound and one of us doesn’t.  I’m taking the couch downstairs.”  She started for the basement.

 

“Fine,” Finn said.  He looked at Poe.  “Unless…”

 

“Don’t even finish that thought,” Poe said, taking Finn’s arm and starting down the hall.  “Which room is it?”

 

Finn nodded to their right.  Poe pushed open the door and led Finn in.  He closed the door behind them and leaned against it.  “What aren’t you telling me?”

 

Finn walked to the bed and sat with a wince.  “Poe, it’s complicated.  I have a history with Hux and…”

 

Poe walked over and crouched in front of Finn.  “What do you need me to do?”

 

Finn shook his head, smiling.  “I’m supposed to be protecting you.”

 

“Yeah, well…”  He looked down.  “I’m untying your boots.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“It’s the least I can do.”

 

“Poe,” Finn said.

 

“Yeah,” Poe asked, looking up.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Poe stopped.  “What?”

 

“This would be over now if…”  Finn sighed.  “I shouldn’t have…”  He balled his hands into fists.  _I was distracted_.  “Hux shouldn’t have gotten the best of me.”

 

Poe put a hand on Finn’s knee.  “Finn, I’m just happy you’re okay.”  He looked back down, untying Finn’s boot.  “You had me scared there for a while.”

 

Finn couldn’t help his smile.  “I did?”

 

Poe looked up with a crooked grin.  “Yeah.”  For a moment, their eyes met.  Then, Poe looked back down.  “But don’t let it go to your head.  Mainly, I was just wondering who’s going to play Overwatch with me.”

 

Finn chuckled.  “The important stuff.”

 

Poe pulled off Finn’s boots.  “Exactly.”  Poe stood.  “Now, it’s time for you to rest.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“What about me?”

 

“Well, Iolo has the only other bedroom and Harter has the couch.”

 

“I’m sure I can find some floor somewhere.”

 

“Poe, you aren’t sleeping on the floor.”  Finn made to get up.

 

Poe reached over and pushed him back into the bed.  “And you aren’t going to get up.”  Poe shrugged.  “I’ll figure something out.”

 

Finn rolled his eyes and scooted over.  “Just get in the damn bed, Dameron.  There’s plenty of room.”

 

Poe bit his lip.  “Uhhhhh….”

 

“Dameron, don’t make this strange.  We both need our sleep.  It’s a queen-sized bed.”  He patted the space next to him.  When Poe didn’t move, he added, “And this way you can keep an eye on me, make sure I rest.”

 

Poe smiled.  “Well, when you put it like that.”  He toed out of his shoes and crawled into the bed.  Poe leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. 

 

“Long day,” Finn asked.

 

“Not as long as yours, but…yeah,” Poe said.  He turned onto his side, studying Finn.

 

Finn looked over at him.  “Yeah?”

 

Poe shook his head.  “There’s just this whole other world out there, isn’t there?  And, like, you and,” he gestured to the door, “all of them, you…”

 

Finn turned his head and stared at the ceiling.  “There are bad people out there.  And I made a choice.  I wasn’t going to kill for them, but I also wasn’t going to sit around and do nothing.”  He looked back at Poe.  “I figured out the best way I could help, found some like-minded friends and…”

 

Poe frowned.  “How many times have you nearly been killed, Finn?”

 

“Part of the job.”

 

“I don’t want you dying for me,” Poe said.

 

“And I don’t want you dying,” Finn said.  _I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened._   Finn swallowed as he realized that he wanted to protect Poe for his own selfish reasons.  He glanced over at Poe.  “You’re doing a lot of good in the world.”

 

“So are you,” Poe said.

 

“Not the same thing.”

 

Poe sighed, falling back onto the bed.  “It’s not a damn race.”

 

“No, it isn’t.  But this is the life I signed up for.”

 

“That’s crap,” Poe said.  “This is the life you…you…”

 

“What’s bothering you, Poe?”

 

“How can you be so damn calm about all of this,” Poe said, sitting up.  He made to stand, but his hand slipped and he fell off the bed.

 

Finn chuckled.  He slowly rolled over, only wincing once, to stare at Poe, who was sitting on the floor, his face in his hands.  “How in the kriff did you make it in the Air Force?”

 

“I can fly anything,” came Poe’s muffled reply.  He slowly lowered his hands.  “Just can’t walk or stand up, apparently.”   _At least not around you_.  He turned towards the bed.  “This is really how you want to spend the rest of your life?”

 

Finn held Poe’s eyes.  His initial instinct was to offer Poe a quip— _the rest of my life probably isn’t that long anyway_ —but Poe had this look in his eyes.  Finn couldn’t place it, but it bugged him.  “You don’t know me.  What I’ve seen.  What I’ve done.”

 

“And I don’t give a flying frag about any of that.  I asked if this is how you want to spend the rest of your life.”

 

Finn flopped back down, ignoring the pain in his side.  “What does it matter to you?”

 

Poe pushed himself up and crawled onto the bed, looking down at Finn.  “Is this what you want?”

 

Finn leveled his most dangerous stare at Poe.  “Drop it, Dameron.”

 

Poe stared back at him.  It was clear he wanted to say more.  Instead, he turned, got out of bed, and slipped his feet back into his shoes.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I need some air.”

 

“You can’t go outside, Poe.”

 

“I’ll open a window.”

 

“Poe,” Finn started, but Poe was already out the door.  Finn closed his eyes.  “Great.  Just kriffing great.”

 

 


	4. Jess and Han

 

 

Finn blinked open his eyes.  Karé was leaning over him.  He was instantly awake.  “What is it?”

 

“We have a situation.”

 

Finn went to push himself up, but Karé pressed a hand into his shoulder.  “Listen and then react.”

 

“Hux isn’t here?”

 

She shook her head. 

 

“So, what is it?”

 

“Poe,” she said.

 

“He’s pissed at me.”

 

“Figured,” she said, “but that’s not the problem.”

 

Finn felt a tightness in his chest.  “What is the problem?”

 

“He’s gone.”

 

“What?!?”

 

Karé nodded.  “He’s gone.”

 

Finn sat up and pushed past her, looking for his boots.  “What do you mean, he’s gone?”

 

“I mean, that about twenty minutes ago, when Snap came to relieve me, we realized that he never came back in here with you, so we checked the house and he’s gone.”

 

“KRIFF,” Finn said.  He found his boots sat on the bed and started to pull them on.  “Five highly trained operatives and he just…”  He groaned. 

 

Karé kneeled to help him.  “You should be resting.”

 

“He’s gonna get himself killed.”

 

“Are you two sleeping together?”

 

“What?  Kriff!  No!  What in the hell made you—”

 

Karé stopped helping with his shoes and raised an eyebrow.  “Finn, I’ve never seen you go this far out on a limb for someone.  And the way he acted in the car when he found out you’d been shot.”  She shrugged.  “You’ve been living together for two weeks; I just figured…”

 

“Well, you figured wrong,” Finn said, standing up.  “He’s a client and that’s—”

 

“No,” Karé said, standing.  “He’s not a client.  No one hired us for this job.  This one is all you.”  She put her hands on her hips.  “So, do you want to tell me the truth or do you want me to sic Iolo and Snap on you?”

 

Finn stared at her, but she didn’t blink. 

 

She started tapping her foot.

 

“Fine,” Finn spat out.  “I might have a tiny crush on the man.”

 

“I knew it!”

 

Finn shook his head.  “But it’s nothing.”

 

Karé snorted.  “Yeah, right.”

 

“Kun, this is about saving a man who is doing a lot of good in the world.”

 

“Oh, it might have started out that way, but I think we can both agree, it’s become something else.”

 

“Are we really gonna stand here and argue about my feelings or are we going to go out and look for him?”

 

“I’ve already got Harter, Snap, and Iolo on it.”

 

Finn shook his head and walked out of the bedroom.  “Where did you send them?”

 

“Iolo is canvassing the neighborhood; Snap has the police stations, and Harter is checking in with people at Alliance Energy.”

 

Finn nodded.  “Good.”  He tried to think over everything he knew about Poe Dameron when suddenly, it dawned on him.  “The cat,” he said.

 

“The what?”

 

“Karé, where are your keys?”

 

She held them up.  Finn took them from her hands.  “Get the others back here and be ready to move out on my word.”  He started for the door.  “I’m pretty sure I know where Dameron went.”

 

“You want me to go?”

 

Finn shook his head.  “Better if it’s me.”

 

Karé snorted.  Finn ignored it.

 

“Just be ready to move, okay?”

 

“You got it, boss.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe banged on Jess’ door.  “Come on.  Come on.”

 

Jess opened it, bleary eyed.  “What the fuck do you want, Dameron?”

 

“Get dressed, get the cat, and grab all your money and every weapon you have hidden around this dump.”

 

It took a second for what Poe had said to sink in, but when it did, Jess started moving.  “What’s going on, Poe?”

 

“Long story.  I’ll tell you on the move.”  Poe looked around, spotting Bee’s carrier.  “Bee!  Bee, sweetheart?”

 

The cat wandered into the living room looking thoroughly unimpressed.  Poe rushed to it, scooped it up, and kissed its nose before putting it into the carrier.  “Sorry, Bee,” he said as the cat let out an annoyed meow.  He looked at his watch.  “Jess!”

 

“I’m hurrying,” she yelled back.

 

Ten minutes later, they were on the road. 

 

“Where are we headed,” Jess asked.

 

“I need someplace secure that no one would think of if they came looking for me.”

 

“Poe, have you called—”

 

“Can’t.  There’s a chance someone could listen in.”

 

“Kriff.”  Jess turned to look at Poe.  “What’s going on?”

 

Poe pressed his lips together.

 

“Poe Dameron, you will tell me exactly what is going on or I will pull this car over and dump you on the side of the road.”

 

“It’s just…”

 

“Poe, I don’t know if you’re trying to protect me or what, but _you_ came to _me_ , so spill.”

 

“Fine.  So, ummmmm, well, it turns out that someone is trying to kill me.”

 

“What?”  The car swerved.  “Kriff!”  Pava steadied her hands.  “Is there a reason I’m only hearing about this now?”

 

“Yeah, but…”  Poe shook his head, “Look, someone is trying to kill me and someone else is trying to protect me.  Only he got shot, and I decided I wasn’t going to let him die for me.”

 

“I’m pretty sure you’re skipping like ninety percent of the story.”

 

“Yeah, but that can wait until we find a place to stay.”

 

“Luke?  Rey?”

 

Poe shook his head. 

And then it came to him.   “Crap.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I know where we should go.”

 

Jess looked at him and then she realized what he was thinking.  “No!”  She shook her head.  “Uh-uh, Poe.”

 

“Jess, it’s the only way.”

 

“No.  You promised!”

 

“Jess.”

 

“Poe.”

 

“We don’t have a choice,” Poe insisted.

 

“Sure, we do.  We go to see Ackbar or we go to…I don’t know.  Lu?”

 

“Lu is a million years old and I’m not putting him in danger.”

 

“Oh, but me?  Me, you’ll put in danger?”

 

“Jess.”

 

She rolled her eyes and huffed out, “Fine.”  She turned to look at Poe.  “But I’m telling you now, if he calls me Testor even once, I am out of there.”

 

“Sounds fair.”

 

“I mean it, Poe.”

 

“Noted,” Poe said, drumming his fingers along his leg, trying not to think too hard about Finn.

 

**# # # #**

 

The older man smiled.  “Testor,” he said, throwing open the door.

 

Jess made as if she was going to leave, but Poe grabbed her arm and drug her forward.  “Hey, Han,” he said.  He pinched Jess’ arm.

 

“Ow!” 

 

Poe shot her a look.

 

“Hi, Han.”

 

Han ushered them inside.  An Irish Wolfhound came bounding forward and jumped at Poe, nearly knocking him down.  Poe laughed, “Hey, Chewie.”  Bee hissed inside its carrier.  “Uh,” Poe held the carrier above the wolfhound’s head.  “Probably need a space for Bee separate from Chewie.”  He looked down at the dog.  “No offense.”

 

Han motioned to the back.  “Bee can have my bedroom.  I’ll get some bowls for food and water.”

 

Once they had Bee settled, Han led them to the living room.  “Okay, which one of you is gonna tell me what’s going on?”

 

Jess looked at Poe.

 

“Uh, well, I guess to fully understand things, we have to go back a few weeks…”

 

**# # # #**

 

Han leaned back, rubbing his chin with his hand.  “So this guy?  Finn?  You really think he’s just gonna roll over and not come looking for you?”

 

“He won’t look here,” Poe said.

 

“That’s not an answer to the man’s question,” Jess said.

 

Poe huffed out a breath.  “He might come looking for me, but I was hoping to figure out a way to get to the First Order before he finds me.”

 

“Why,” Han said, sharing a look with Jess.

 

“Yeah, I’ve got to agree with the old man here.  Why?”

 

“Jess, he got shot!”

 

“Yeah, and from what you’ve told me that sounds like part of his job.”

 

“Well, I’m not having him die for me.”

 

Jess shared another look with Han.  It looked like they were having a silent conversation.

 

“What,” Poe said.

 

Han and Jess kept it up for another few seconds before Han turned to Poe.  “Are you sleeping with him?”

 

“What?  No!  It’s not like that!  It’s…”

 

“That’s what it sounds like,” Jess said.

 

“Well, it’s isn’t—”

 

“Yeah, I’m with Jess,” Han said, “You sound like you’re hung up on this guy.”

 

Poe leaned back in his chair, his hands scrubbing down his face.  “Guys, look, can we table the _does-Poe-like-Finn_ stuff for a moment and figure out how I’m going to get First Order?”

 

“You’re not,” Jess said.

 

“Jess!”

 

“No, again, I’m with Testor—”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Well, then, don’t call me old man.”

 

“Will you two stop bickering!”

 

They both turned to Poe, who had stood.  He ran both hands through his hair.  “I need your help,” he said.  “I am going after First Order to get them off my back and to get them away from Finn.”

 

Jess closed her eyes.  “Now?  You’ve just decided to take on the Order _now_?”  She shook her head and muttered, “Hey, I think I’ll take on this deadly paramilitary organization today.  Not much else going on.”

 

Han snickered.  “Yeah, kid, you don’t take down an organization like that by yourself and not without some planning.”

 

“Fine.”  Poe sat back down.  He then hit Han with a dazzling smile.  “Back in the day, you used to run with some pretty shady characters—”

 

“Yeah, kid, _back in the day_.  As in, not now.  Not for years.”

 

“Okay, but you’re telling me you don’t have any idea how I could—”

 

“This is idiotic,” Jess said.  “You don’t just decide that you’re going to single-handedly take down the First Order.  Not after—”

 

“Well, if you two would help, it wouldn’t be single-handedly.”

 

“Yes,” Jess said, “because the two of us are going to make all the difference.”

 

“Well, it could,” Poe started.

 

Chewie started barking.  Then, there was a knock on the door.

 

All three shared a worried look.

 

“You expecting anyone,” Jess asked, rising.

 

“No,” Han said.  He got up and moved to an old bookcase.  He pulled it back to reveal a weapons cache.  “Hadn’t been expecting you, either, though.”

 

Jess moved to her duffle bag on the floor.  She pulled out a gun for herself and then held one out for Poe. 

 

Han pointed to a space in the front hall.  Jess nodded and moved there.  Poe moved to the other side of the front door and nodded to Han.

 

Han put a gun in the back of his pants and walked to the front door.

 

He opened it.

 

A hand shot through the door, grabbing Poe’s gun and ripping it from his hands.  At the same time, the person forced their way in, pushing Han back into the door, a gun in his face.

 

Jess stepped out from the hall, gun squarely pointed at the man’s chest.  “Let them go,” she said.

 

 


	5. Just a Job

 

 

Poe stood there with his mouth open.  “You can put down the gun, Jess.”

 

“What?”

 

“And Finn, could you please let Han go?”

 

Jess lowered her gun.  “This is Finn?”

 

Finn let go of Han.  Han stepped back.

 

“Sorry,” Finn said.

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Han said, walking back into the house. 

 

Finn turned to Poe and said, “We need to talk.”

 

Han grabbed Jess’ arm, dragging her further inside.  “We’ll give you two a minute.”

 

“Yeah,” Poe said.  He then shook his head.  “Not here.”  He gestured inside.  “Hey Han,” he said, as they walked down the hall.  “We’re gonna be in the bedroom for a few minutes.”

 

“My friends will be here soon,” Finn said to Han.    

 

“Friends?  What sorts of friends,” Han asked.

 

“The kind that are trying to keep Poe alive, Mr. Solo,” Finn said.

 

“Poe, are you okay,” Jess asked as Poe led Finn down the hall.

 

“I’m fine, Jess.”  He pointed to a door and followed Finn in.

 

Finn sat down on the bed and Bee immediately jumped up to investigate.  “Hey, Bee,” he said, scratching Bee’s head.

 

Poe leaned against the door and raised an eyebrow.  “You two know each other?”

 

“Bee and I had to come to an understanding, so I could get them to Jess’ house.”

 

Poe nodded.  “How did you—”

 

“Well, when you and Bee weren’t at Jess’,” Finn said, still scratching Bee, “I started trying to remember everything I knew about you.  I figured close friends and family were out.”  He looked up.  “You’re too smart for that.  That’s why I didn’t figure you’d gone to the police, either.”

 

Poe crossed his arms.  “Not like they can help.”

 

Finn met his eyes.  “Exactly.”  He looked back down at Bee.  “Han is an old friend of your father’s.  He’s run in some pretty questionable circles.”  Finn shrugged.  “He just seemed like the next logical place to check.”

 

Poe closed his eyes.  “I haven’t talked to Han in years.”

 

Finn looked up.  “I’m very thorough.  When I research someone, I find out everything.”

 

Poe let out a mirthless chuckle.  “Yeah?”

 

“Try me.”

 

“Tell me about my last serious relationship.”

 

Finn blinked.  “Well, not the guy that you saw off and on last year.  You definitely weren’t serious about him.  But,” Finn said, all his concentration seemingly on Bee, “you haven’t been serious about anyone since Muran.”

 

Poe’s breath caught in his throat.  He’d asked the question; he should’ve been ready for the answer.  It was just hearing Muran’s name again.  It always threw him.  And sure, his old friends knew about Muran, but that had been nearly a decade ago, well before Poe had been in the spotlight.

 

Finn looked up.  “Like I said, I’m thorough.”

 

Poe crossed his arms.  _Thorough, but still not as thorough as you think._

 

He walked forward till he was standing in front of Finn.  “Fine.  So you know everything about me and you’re some sort of super spy with your Scooby Gang full of special effects artists and ex-doctors or whatever Harter is and…”  _I should tell him._ He let out a long breath and ran both hands through his hair and then chickened out.  He sighed.  “That still doesn’t mean that I’m okay with you taking on First Order on my behalf.”

 

Finn stood, and he was practically nose to nose with Poe.  “It’s not just on your behalf.  I owe them.”

 

Poe stood there, staring into Finn’s eyes.  “If that’s the case, then I want in.”

 

“No.”

 

“Finn, I have just as much—”

 

“Poe, this is not up for negotiation.  We’re trained and—”

 

“I was in the Air Force, Finn.”

 

“And if I need air support, I’ll call you.”

 

Poe was nearly vibrating with rage.  “What if I just go out and call a press conference, huh?  Yeah,” he said, walking away from Finn.  “I’ll make this public.”  He smiled.  “I’ll make it public and then all of you can—”

 

“Not how this works,” Finn said.

 

Poe shook his head.  “No, not how it works for _you_.  But it might be how it works for _me_.”

 

Finn walked over and took Poe’s arm.  “They’ll kill you before you hit the stage.”

 

“What’s your plan, then?”

 

“Get you somewhere safe and then I’ll take care of—”

 

“No,” Poe said.

 

“Poe, I didn’t save your life so that you could run mine.”

 

“Well, then maybe your research wasn’t as thorough as you thought.  Because the number one thing you should know about me is that I don’t give up when it comes to the people I care about, so if you really think that I’m going to just sit around and wait while you get hurt or killed, then…”  Finn’s entire countenance had softened.  “What,” Poe asked.

 

“People you care about?”

 

Poe leaned in.  “Don’t be an idiot, Finn.  We’ve been living together for two weeks.  I make breakfast for you every kriffing morning.”

 

“Then, why did you run away?”

 

“Because I was hoping to be able to take these bastards out before you got hurt.”

 

Finn wanted to laugh.  Instead, he moved his hand up to cup Poe’s cheek.  “That’s adorable, sweetheart, but—”

 

“Don’t patronize me,” Poe growled.

 

Finn’s eyes locked onto Poe.  “These aren’t nice people.  They are killers, and they don’t play fair.”  He moved his other hand up to grab Poe’s shoulder.  “This isn’t about me thinking you’re incompetent.  This is about me knowing that you aren’t trained for this.”

 

Poe opened his mouth.  _Just tell him_.  The words wouldn’t come, so he leaned forward until his forehead was touching Finn’s.  “I can’t let you do this,” he said.

 

Finn sighed.  “Poe, this is something I’ve had to do for a very long time.”  He pushed away from the other man.  “Them going after you was just the final straw.”

 

Poe bit his lip.  _TELL HIM_.  “Finn, I—”

 

“Look, Dameron, I get that your heart is in the right place, but I’m doing this without you.  Besides, once this is over, you’re free.  No more bunker.  No more—”

 

Poe suddenly realized, “You’re gonna disappear after this, aren’t you?”  He walked over and sat on the bed, watching Bee clean itself.  “I’m supposed to just sit around and…”  _I was just a job to him_.  He looked up.  “Is this a suicide mission?”

 

“Kriff, no!”  Finn walked over until he stood in front of Poe.  “I hope not.”

 

“But I’m never gonna see you again when it’s over, am I?”

 

Finn shook his head.  _It’s the only way I can do this._

 

“Kriff,” Poe said.  “What was your plan in the bunker?”

 

Finn sat down next to him.  Bee jumped off the bed, offended at the intrusion.  “I was going to have Bastian come and get you, take you home.”

 

Poe shook his head, refusing to meet Finn’s eyes.  “I’m an idiot.”

 

“You’re not an idiot,” Finn said.

 

Poe stood.  “Yeah, I am. I thought…”  He ran a hand through his hair.  “I…”  _I thought you might be feeling this too._   He walked to the far end of the room, leaning his forehead against the wall.  “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.  I thought…”  He sighed. 

 

“Poe,” Finn said.

 

“No.  You have a job to do and I…”  He pushed back from the wall.  “I’ll wait here with Han and Jess.  Just send word when it’s over.”

 

Finn stood, taking a tentative step towards the other man.  “Poe?” _Please understand_.

 

Poe took a step back. “No.  I get it.  I’m just a job.  That’s fine.”  He turned his back towards Finn.  “You should go.  You’re probably already behind schedule.”

 

Finn opened his mouth and then closed it.  _Maybe this is for the best_.  He walked out of the room.

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn stomped through the hall towards the front door.  Jess rose and looked back towards the bedroom.  “Where’s Poe?”

 

“He needed a minute,” Finn said, reaching for the door.

 

Jess ran up and grabbed his arm, pushing him into the wall.  “What did you do to him?”

 

“I didn’t do a single, kriffing thing to him,” Finn said, trying to pull out of her grasp.

 

Jess leaned in and growled, “If you broke his heart, I swear on all that I hold holy that I will—”

 

There was a knock on the door.  Finn jerked his arm out of Jess’ hands.  “Broke _his_ heart.  Right,” he grumbled.  He opened the door to Snap, Iolo, and Karé.  “Good,” he said.  “Guys, this is Jess.  Jess, these are my associates.”

 

Jess looked them up and down, shook her head and went back to the living room.

 

“So, a warm welcome then,” Iolo said, walking in.

 

“What happened,” Karé asked.

 

“Don’t ask,” Finn said.

 

“I believe the lady just did,” Iolo said.

 

Finn ignored them.  “Snap, Iolo, and Karé, this is Han Solo and Jessika Pava.”  They nodded at each other.

 

Snap squinted at Han.  “Do I know you?”

 

Han shrugged.  “Big world, kid.  Who knows?”

 

“Snap, I want you here with Han and Jess.  Keep an eye on Poe.  Iolo, you get in touch with Bastian?”

 

“They’ll meet us there,” Iolo said.

 

“Good,” Finn said.  He turned to Jess.  “Just tell him…”

 

Jess shook her head, rising.  “I’m not your errand boy.  You have something you want to tell him, you tell him yourself.”

 

Finn turned to Snap.  “Just keep him safe.”

 

“Will do, boss.”

 

Finn nodded at Karé and Iolo and they left.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe stood there in shock.  He heard Finn leave and leaned his head back against the wall.  _Of course, he was going to leave.  You were a job.  Nothing more._

 

Poe squeezed his eyes shut.  _Just let him go.  Just let him do this._

 

Poe sucked in a quick breath.  _He’s gonna get himself killed._

 

Poe pushed off the wall _.  I can’t let that happen._

 

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text.

 

**# # # #**

 

Snap stood in the middle of the room, rocking back on his heels.  “Well, this is awkward.”

 

Jess’ phone buzzed.  She glanced at it and then looked over at Han, who nodded and then rose, heading down the hall.  “About to get a whole lot more awkward.”

 

Snap turned to ask him how when Jess hit him on the head and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

 

**# # # #**

 

Snap woke up tied to a chair in a small room in Han’s house.  Han, Jess, and Poe stood in front of him.

 

“All I’m saying is, did you have to hit him that hard,” Han asked.

 

“You wanted him out, I knocked him out,” Jess said.

 

“Guys, he’s coming to,” Poe said.

 

Snap groaned and licked his lips before raising his head.  “What in the kriff, guys?”

 

“Where are they going,” Poe asked.

 

“Where are who going?”

 

“Finn and the others,” Jess said.

 

“Why in the hell would I tell you that?”

 

“Because we’re not letting them go in there alone,” Poe said.

 

“Poe, I get that you and Finn have some sort of… _thing_ going on between you, but you can’t—”

 

Poe pulled a gun out of his boot, cocked it, and pointed it at Snap.

 

“What the hell,” Snap roared.

 

“Where are they,” Poe asked in a cold voice.

 

“Poe,” Snap said, his voice quivering.

 

“Hey,” Han said, walking over.  “You want to tone it down a bit, Dameron?”

 

“Fine,” Poe said, pulling back the gun and walking away.

 

“Sorry about that,” Han said.  “Poe is a little on edge today.  Me?  Not so much.  I’m willing to talk and—”

 

“You aren’t seriously trying to good cop/bad cop me, are you?”

 

Han shook his head and shrugged, walking towards Poe, muttering, “Try to help a guy.”

 

“I say I knock him out again and we reach out to one of our contacts,” Jess said.  “Someone’s gotta know where Ben and the rest of those fascist Order jerks are hiding.”

 

“We ask too many people and someone could tip Ben off,” Poe said.  “Besides, time is of the essence here.”

 

Snap was trying to process the conversation and his eyes kept going back to Han.  Something about the older man was bugging him.  “Who are you guys?”

 

“Not now, kid, the adults are talking,” Han said. Then, he turned to Poe.  “Unless you’ve got some sort of psychic link with this Finn guy, I think we’re gonna have to call one of our contacts.”

 

Poe turned to Snap.  “You know where they’re going?”

 

“Yes,” Snap said.

 

Poe sighed.  “You have to tell us.  Finn is walking in seriously underprepared.”

 

“Have you met Finn?  Even underprepared he is—”

 

“Going to get himself killed,” Han finished. 

 

“You really think the Order doesn’t expect him to come charging in,” Jess said.

 

“What in the kriff do you people know about the Order?”

 

Poe, Han, and Jess all shared a look.  Snap could see a silent argument raging.

 

“Fine,” Jess said.  “Tell him!”

 

“We’re with the Resistance.”

 

“Holy kriffing hell,” Snap said.  “That’s who you are.  You’re Han Solo.  _The_ Han Solo.  The one who used to run around with Leia Organa and the Skywalker guy.”

 

“More like they used to run around with me,” Han muttered.

 

Snap turned to Poe.  “But you’re…”  He shook his head.

 

“Not who I was pretending to be,” Poe said, walking over.  “Now, are you gonna tell me where Finn is going so I can untie you and we can go help him, or are you just gonna sit there and stare at us?”

 

“The kriffing Resistance,” Snap said.  He shrugged.  “Sure, I’ll tell you where he’s going, but you’re not gonna like it.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m an unreliable narrator and that Poe has been lying?


	6. Fairy Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: canon-typical violence; minor character death

 

 

If you ran in certain circles you might hear about the First Order, and while they paid well, most spies, assassins, and soldiers-for-hire knew to give them a wide berth.  They were well-funded but zealous in their pursuit of discipline and order and their leader, Snoke, was the type that made even the most hardened mercenary stop and reconsider his life choices.  In a word, the First Order was scary—even to the scariest people on the planet.

 

Of course, if you ran in these circles, you’d probably also heard of the Resistance, a group of spies and soldiers who’d realized that government agencies and ordinary citizens were going to be nearly powerless against something like the Order.  So, they’d organized around their head, the legendary Leia Organa, and started striking back.

 

Finn had, of course, grown up hearing stories of the Resistance, but over the years, he’d decided that it had to be a fairy tale.  There were no good guys waiting to ride in and save the day.  There was only him and his friends.

 

Which was why Finn was realistic in his expectations for striking out at the Order: he had a rag-tag group of friends, who were all very good, but who were all going up against a well-oiled machine.

 

No one was coming to help them, and truth be told, he’d probably lied to Poe when he said it wasn’t a suicide mission.

 

Finn didn’t expect to get out of this one alive.

 

**# # # #**

 

The Order’s base of operations was a warehouse complex on the edge of town that was lovingly nicknamed Starkiller.

 

Finn’s plan was simple.  He, Iolo, Karé, Bastian, Yolo, and Kaydel were going to go in and take out Hux as well as Hux’s boss, a man named Kylo Ren.

 

The problem was, as Finn had suspected, the First Order was waiting for them.

 

They’d made it inside but had quickly gotten pinned down by about forty Stormtroopers—the First Order’s security forces.

 

Finn had split off from the others, trying to make his way to the second floor of the warehouse, where he was pretty sure Hux, Ren, and some of the other higher ups were watching events unfold.  He was about to sprint towards a back staircase when something caught his eye.

 

Someone had just crossed over towards him and was firing on the troopers.  Finn quickly scanned the space and picked out his people.  _Who in the kriff_ , Finn thought, crouching down and creeping towards the stranger.

 

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized it was Snap running towards him.  Snap jumped behind a crate about ten feet behind Finn.  Finn quickly ran and jumped over it, landing next to Snap.  He stared at him for a full ten seconds before demanding, “What in the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Uhhhh, well, that’s a long story, boss,” Snap said, jumping out of the way of a barrage of gunfire.  “You see, it turns out that Dameron and his friends, uh…”  He nodded to where Poe, Han, and Jess were holding off a group of First Order Troopers.

 

“Kriffing hell,” Finn screamed.  “You brought them here?  What in the kriff were you thinking?”  Before Snap could answer Finn was running towards them.  He crashed into a wall next to Poe.  “What in the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Helping you,” Poe said.  He turned to Han and Jess.  “Go help Bastian over there,” he nodded to where the man was pinned behind a stack of crates. 

 

As the two of them took off, Finn said, “So you and your friends just had some semi-automatic weapons lying around and…”  He ducked as chunks of the wall above them started falling on them.  “We need better cover.”  Poe pointed to some crates and they ran for them. 

 

As they got to them, Poe turned to return fire.  “How many of these troopers are there?”

 

“What are you doing here, Poe?”

 

“Maybe ask that question when we’re not taking heavy fire?”

 

“What are you doing here, Poe,” Finn asked, popping up to fire on two troopers trying to flank them.

 

“I’m with the Resistance.”

 

“You’re what?”

 

“I’m with—”

 

“I heard you, you nerf herder.”  Finn stood up and shot at the troopers.  “Kriff,” he said.  Then he looked at Poe.  “No, that’s impossible because—”

 

“No, it’s really not,” Poe said.

 

“The Resistance is a fairy tale.”

 

“Well, then, I’m your Prince Charming,” Poe said, standing and firing on a trooper.

 

“But, there’s nothing in your background that—”

 

“My stint in the Air Force was a cover for…”

 

“Cover,” Finn said, ducking as they took more fire.  He looked at Poe, who was steely eyed, and who handled a gun with practiced ease.  Finn’s entire universe tilted on its side.  He leaned over, “You’re really with the Resistance?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You’re a spy?”

 

“Ex-spy.  Got out of it about three years ago.”

 

“Then how is it that you didn’t know about the attempts on your—”

 

“Who says I didn’t know,” Poe said with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

“You lying piece of—”

 

“Down,” Poe roared as the crate behind them started to burst into splinters.  He grabbed Finn, pushing them both to the ground. 

 

Finn was up first, dragging Poe behind a new set of crates, shots ricocheting off the ground behind them.

 

“So the clumsiness is an act?”

 

“Oh no, I’m clumsy as hell.”

 

“And you just assumed that that was what was saving you?”

 

“I knew someone was protecting me, I just didn’t know who.  And no matter what I did, you wouldn’t come out into the open.”  He leaned in until he and Finn were nose to nose.  “It was getting damn frustrating.”

 

“I don’t know whether to kiss you or punch you.”

 

“Yeah,” Poe said, leaning back.  “I get that a lot.”  He stood up and started firing on the troopers.

 

“Is there a reason you didn’t come clean with me before?”

 

“Had to make sure it wasn’t some elaborate ruse,” Poe said, coming back down.  “You could’ve been a First Order plant.”

 

“And back at Han’s?”

 

“I was pissed.”

 

Finn shook his head.  “Sometime—when people aren’t firing at us—you and I are going to have a very long conversation about open, honest communication.”

 

“Looking forward to it,” Poe said.  He smiled at Finn, “So what’s the plan, boss?”

 

Finn chuckled.  “I need to get upstairs and find Hux and Kylo Ren.”

 

“Kylo Ren?”

 

“He’s Hux’s superior.  Tall dude.  Really pale and—”

 

Poe started laughing.  “He’s calling himself Ren now?  What an idiot!”

 

“What?  You know him?”

 

Poe nodded.  “That’s Ben Solo.  I grew up with him.”

 

“Great.  Well, you handle him and I’ll take Hux.  Sound like a plan?”

 

“Sounds great,” Poe said.  He checked his gun and jumped up to run towards the stairs when he tripped and slid into a crate.  He bounced up immediately.  “I’m good!”

 

Finn watched him wide eyed.  “You were a spy?”

 

Poe laughed.  “Best spy in the galaxy,” he said, running towards the stairs.  He nearly tripped when he reached them, but he caught himself on the hand rail and gave Finn a wink.

 

“We’re doomed,” Finn said, running to catch up with him.

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn crept forward through the hall.  Poe was at his back.  As he came to a stop, he reached out, taking Poe’s shoulder before the other man could stumble.  Poe shot him an annoyed look.

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.

 

_Okay, fine_ , Poe’s eyes seemed to say.  He nodded to a door to Finn’s right and Finn nodded, holding up three fingers.

 

_One.  Two.  Three_.  Finn threw open the door and they both ran in. 

 

It was empty.

 

Poe came up close to Finn, keeping an eye on the door.  “You have any idea where things are up here?”

 

“No, this place is after my time.”  He nodded at another door at the far end of the room. 

 

The two of them crept forward and when they were almost to the door, someone shot at Finn.  Poe grabbed him, yanking him back and to the ground.

 

Suddenly a group of troopers ran in, led by a tall red-head, who sneered.  “I should’ve guessed it would be you, 2187.”

 

“The name is Finn,” Finn said, rising.

 

“Drop your gun or Dameron here gets it.”  Finn looked over to see a trooper with his foot on Poe’s windpipe.

 

Finn nodded slowly putting his gun down and then standing with his hands up.

 

Poe suddenly started coughing, hacking.  The trooper with a foot on his throat glanced down to check on him and Finn was already moving forward.  He tackled two troopers, pushing them into a third.  He could hear Poe wrestling with the other trooper.

 

Finn spotted Hux taking aim at Poe and he charged the man, yelling as he jumped at the assassin.

 

Hux’s shot went wide and he was already trying to turn and run when Finn grabbed him.  The two grappled.  Hux was trying to shoot Finn, but Finn kept moving, kept pushing.

 

Finn could hear Poe dealing with the troopers and he had to admit, he was impressed.  Even if Poe was the clumsiest man he’d ever met, he could also take care of himself.

 

Hux kicked at Finn’s legs and Finn stepped back.  Hux got a good grip on his gun but Finn reached in, the two of them trying for it.

 

A shot rang out.

 

Poe froze.

 

One of the troopers jumped on his back.  He elbowed the guy and ran him into a wall with a groan.  He looked over to Finn and Hux, who were both staring at each other wide eyed.

 

Poe felt sick.  “Finn,” he said.

 

Finn turned and looked at him and then turned back to Hux, who clutched his chest and then fell backward.

 

Poe sighed in relief and then seemed to come back to himself.  “Don’t ever do that again, okay?”

 

Finn nodded.  “I’ll try not to.”  He pointed to the door.  “Shall we?”

 

They ran into the next room, which was empty, but they could hear something in the room next to it.  Muffled arguing.

 

Poe and Finn shared a look.  Finn went to the door, pulled it open and Poe ran in, gun drawn.  Finn was fast behind him.

 

Kylo Ren stood in the center of the room next to a woman tied to a chair.  He had a gun to her head.  “So glad you could join us,” he said.

 

“Kriff,” Finn said, stopping.

 

“What the hell, Ben,” Poe said.  He then said to the woman, “Rey, you okay?”

 

She said, “I’m just wondering why I have to be related to this idiot.”

 

“Quiet,” Ren screeched.  “I’m the one with the gun, so I’m the one that gets to do the talking.

 

“Actually,” Poe said. “I have a gun.”

 

“So do I,” Finn said, holding his up.

 

“I’m the one with a gun on her,” Ren yelled. 

 

“He does have a point,” Rey said.

 

“True,” Poe said.

 

“I guess,” Finn said.

 

Ren screamed.  “I’ll kill her if you don’t shut up.”

 

“I seriously doubt that,” Rey said.

 

“Really,” Ren yelled.  “Really?”

 

“Ben,” Poe started.

 

“My name is Kylo Ren!”

 

Poe opened his mouth to say something when Finn put his hand up.  “Ren, what do you want?”

 

“What I want is for the two of you to put your guns down.  Then, Rey and I are going to go to the roof where I am going to get in my helicopter and fly away from here.”

 

“You know we can’t let you do that,” Poe said.

 

“I don’t think you understand that Rey’s life is on the line here.”

 

“No,” Rey said.  “I think what you don’t understand is that all of us know that you aren’t going to kill me.  You may be a heartless jerk, but I’m your cousin and that still counts for something.”

 

“No, it doesn’t.”

 

“So then kill me already!”

 

Finn looked to Poe, who seemed perfectly calm.  “Uh, Poe,” he whispered.

 

“No,” Poe whispered back.  “This is how they are.  Trust me.”

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.

 

Poe raised one back at him.

 

“Fine,” Finn said, crossing his arms and watching the two cousins bicker.  He couldn’t help but smile a moment later as Rey stood up, the ropes holding her falling to the ground.  Ren started screaming at her for untying herself and she started poking him in the chest.

 

Sirens sounded in the distance and all four of them froze for a second. 

 

Then, there was a flurry of movement.

 

Rey hit Ren in the stomach.  He dropped his gun.  Poe was already moving for it.  Finn came up on Ren’s other side and punched him in the face.

 

Ren fell and Rey kicked him once, for good measure.

 

Poe, Finn, and Rey stood over him staring down.  “Rey, this is Finn.  He’s the one who has been saving my life for the last eighteen months.”

 

Rey looked Finn up and down, smiling.  “Finally!  I thought you never were going to figure out who your guardian angel was.”  She held out a hand.  “Nice to meet you, Finn.”

 

“You too, Rey.”

 

“So now what,” Rey said.

 

Poe shrugged.  “I guess we tie him up and wait for your aunt to show.”

 

Ren groaned. 

 

“I do not want to be here when Aunt Leia gets to him,” Rey said.

 

Poe chuckled and looked down at Ren.  “What do you say, Ben?  Would you rather us hand you over to the authorities or Leia?”

 

“Go to hell,” Ren muttered.

 

“Always the charmer,” Poe said.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter on Monday... Turnabout is fair play.


	7. Turnabout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say turnabout is fair play, right?

 

 

As they came out of the office, where they’d left Ren tied up under the supervision of Jess and Bastian, there were police everywhere.

 

Finn’s first instinct was to slip out the back, but Poe grabbed his arm.  “No,” he said gently.  “Trust me.”

 

They walked downstairs.  Rey yelled out, “Luke,” and ran towards a small man with a grey beard.

 

“Uncle Luke,” Poe explained.  “Well, her father, so Ben’s uncle.  Not mine.  But we all call him…”  Finn felt Poe straighten up.  He followed Poe’s line of sight and saw a rather stern-looking woman, her hair piled high in an elaborate braid, marching over to them.  “General Organa,” Poe said.  “This is Finn.”

 

She smiled.  “Poe’s guardian angel?”

 

“Well, I…”  Finn had heard stories about Leia Organa, of course.  She was legendary in spy circles. 

 

“Not much of a talker,” she asked Poe.

 

“I think he’s a bit flummoxed,” Poe said.  He bumped Finn’s shoulder with his own.

 

“Sorry, ma’am, just still trying to process everything.”

 

Leia nodded.  “Poe, I’d like to debrief with Finn here. Do you think you could handle the locals?”

 

Poe nodded and smiled.  “Of course.  Um, Ben is upstairs with some of our people.” 

 

Leia nodded.  “I think I’ll send Han up there first.  Really irritate him,” she said with a smile.

 

Poe chuckled.  He spared one last look at Finn and then jogged off into the crowd.

 

“Now, Finn,” Leia said, taking his arm and directing him towards a quiet corner of the warehouse, “I’d like to hear everything you can tell me about yourself and about the First Order.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn stretched his neck as he walked back into the bunker.  He’d been on his feet for hours and all he wanted was a glass of water and some sleep.  As he padded down the hall, he saw that the door to Poe’s room was open.  _Poe’s room._  He reached up and stretched his arms over his head, smiling as he thought about the other man.

 

He paused.

 

_Poe._

 

He hadn’t seen Poe since Leia had taken him aside.  He hoped Poe had made it out okay, that he wasn’t still at Starkiller dealing with the police.

 

Finn wandered into the kitchen.  _What am I going to do about that?_ He frowned. 

 

There was a note on the kitchen counter.  Finn picked it up.

 

_Sally’s Diner.  Old Mill Road.  Saturday.  8am._

 

Finn smiled.  _Guess this isn’t over yet._

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn walked into the coffee shop and spied Poe in a booth in the back.  He slid in across from the other man.  A waitress came over.  Finn looked at Poe, coffee cup in his hands.  “You eating?”

 

Poe smiled.  “Ordered us both the breakfast special.”

 

Finn smiled.  “And a coffee please, ma’am.” 

 

The waitress nodded, returning a moment later with a full mug and a fresh pot, which she put on the table.

 

“Thanks, Christina,” Poe said.

 

For a few moments, neither spoke.  Finn drummed his fingers on the table.  Poe slowly turned his mug around. 

 

Finally, Poe looked up.  “Who talks first?  You talk first?  I talk first?”

 

Finn leaned back.  “I think you should start.  Maybe tell me the truth about you.”

 

“Well, my parents were both spies.  They quit a few years after I was born, but…”  Poe looked out the window, watching traffic.  “When I was eight, an operative from an opposing agency decided to get a little revenge and…”  He picked up his mug and took a big gulp of coffee.  “Officially, my mother died in a car accident.”  He looked at Finn.  “But they put a hit on her, and basically, I spent every waking moment from then on training.  Leia recruited me in—”

 

“So you’ve known her…?”

 

“All my life,” Poe said.  “She and Han worked with my parents for a time.  She recruited me in high school.”  He picked his cup up again, staring into it.  “Dad wasn’t happy.  He thought it was too dangerous, but I signed up whole-heartedly.  Any chance to get back at the kind of people who hit my mom.”

 

Finn nodded.

 

“So, I joined the Air Force, but that was a front.  I was really working for the Resistance.”

 

Finn shook his head.  “Whoever did the paperwork on you was thorough.”  His eyes flicked up to Poe’s.  “My people are good and they never once suspected…”  He chuckled.  “Freaking Resistance,” he mumbled before taking a drink.

 

“Anyway, about ten years ago, I had an op go wrong, like really wrong.”  Poe’s voice got quiet.  “I was…”  He sighed.  “You dug up the information on Muran, but what you didn’t know was that…”  Poe shook his head.  “He was just a pilot.  He wasn’t a spy, and…you have to know, I tried to keep him out of all of this, but…but he got caught in the middle and…”  Poe’s voice was barely a whisper, “and he died trying to protect me.”  Poe squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them and staring at his coffee.  “I wanted out.”  He wiped his eyes.  “Leia made me a deal instead.  She wanted to start a company as a front to help us get our foot in certain doors.  She asked me to become the head of it.”  He shrugged.  “I still did the occasional op, but more and more, I became the public face of Alliance Energy.”

 

“Why’d you leave?”

 

“Rey,” Poe said.  He picked up his coffee and took a sip.  “You remind me of her a bit.”  He put his cup down.  “Similar story.  She ended up with some bad elements when she was a kid.  Thankfully, Leia’s brother, Luke, found her and took her in.  He was never the conventional sort, and he started bringing her in on assignments. By the time she was in her twenties, she’d logged more time for the agency than I had.”  Poe shook his head.  “She wanted out, and I knew a way, so I went to Leia with an offer: let Rey take my place.  I’ll pretend to retire, and I can start funneling money to good causes while still playing the part of philanthropist playboy extraordinaire.”

 

Finn laughed.  “Playboy?”

 

“Let a guy dream,” Poe said.  “I officially retired from the spy game, but I could still fund Leia’s pet projects.”

 

Finn was thoughtful for a moment.  “Ben must’ve suspected something was up.”

 

“That’s my guess,” Poe said.  “And as you might have guessed, I think he always had a soft spot for Rey.  She is his cousin, and they’ve always had this…”

 

“Antagonistic?”

 

Poe laughed.  “Yeah, antagonistic but loving relationship.”  He shook his head.  “They’ve always been like that.”  He sighed.  “So yeah, I think him putting the hit out on me was more about his mother than anything else.”

 

“And you were okay being in the middle of their feud?”

 

“Well, _okay_ is a strong word,” Poe said.  “But there was no way to get out without messing up everything we’d done.”  He looked up at Finn.  “Besides, I had a guardian angel looking out for me.”

 

“A guardian angel who at any time could’ve stopped protecting you or gotten killed or…”  Finn shrugged, taking another drink of his coffee.  “You took a big risk.”

 

“Like I said, I tried to get you to come out into the open.”  He laughed.  “Geez, Finn, how many times did I go wandering off into situations by myself just to set up a scenario where you might contact me?”

  
“Kriff, Poe, you are so damn lucky that the Order didn’t send Hux to begin with.  Or even Ben.  Something tells me he wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot you.”  His blood ran cold.

 

“I’m lucky that they let their best agent get away,” Poe said, looking into Finn’s eyes.

 

Finn broke contact first, staring down into his coffee cup.  “You know this still isn’t over, right?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean that with Hux dead and Ren…Ben in jail, that cripples the Order, but Snoke is still out there.”

 

“Snoke,” Poe said.  “I always thought he was a myth.”

 

“No, he’s real.”  Finn shuddered.  “Very real and very scary.  And I’ve got to guess that now, he’s going to double his efforts to hurt the Resistance.”

 

“The Resistance is not going to be intimidated by Snoke,” Poe said thoughtfully.  He then smiled.  “Besides, I’m pretty sure Leia wants to recruit you.  And your friends.  She was impressed with the work you did.”

 

Finn threw back his head and laughed.  “Bastian would love that.  He has a thing for Leia Organa.”

 

“What about you?”

 

Finn shrugged.  He poured himself another cup of coffee.

 

The waitress brought their breakfasts.  Finn whistled.  “That is a lot of food.”

 

“I was hungry,” Poe said.

 

“I can tell.”

 

The two started eating in silence.

 

**# # # #**

 

“That was good,” Finn said, leaning back and patting his belly.

 

“They do a decent breakfast here,” Poe said with a smile.  “Not as good as mine, but close.”

 

“Ehhh,” Finn said, playfully shrugging.

 

“Hey!”

 

Finn laughed.

 

And then the table fell into an awkward silence.  The one thing they hadn’t talked about—the thing they’d most needed to talk about—was still there, hanging over them.

 

Finn looked down at the table, picking up his coffee spoon and tapping it on the table top.

 

Poe bit his lip, watching the spoon.  His eyes flicked up to Finn’s. 

 

Finn said, “If I took the job with Leia, chances would be good I’d go back undercover.”

 

“Yeah,” Poe said.  He’d thought about that.  It killed his very soul, but at the same time, it meant he’d be able to keep tabs on Finn.  _That might be the best I can hope for._

Finn looked up at Poe.  “What about you?  You going back to being her front?”

 

Poe shook his head.  “Technically, Poe Dameron died a few weeks ago.”

 

“Yeah, but…”

 

“No,” Poe said firmly.  “I have a little money saved.  Figured I’d go up north, maybe buy a plane and fly charters or teach lessons.”  He shrugged.  “I think it’s time to do something else with my life.”  He picked up his empty cup and rolled it between his hands.

 

Finn nodded.  _Not what I wanted but it’s probably for the best._

 

Poe was petrified but he had to ask, “What about you?”

 

Finn stared at his coffee cup.  “I don’t know.”

 

Poe nodded.  He’d hoped for something different.  There were so many things he wanted to say to Finn, to ask him.  After a few beats, he said, “You’re a good man, Finn.”  It sounded stupid the second it left his mouth.

 

Finn smiled. 

 

Poe reached a hand across the table.

 

Finn looked from it up to Poe, who nodded to his hand.  Finn tentatively reached his hand out.  Poe took it.  “I was thinking about coming here next Saturday for breakfast.”  He gave Finn’s hand a little squeeze.

 

“Yeah?”  Finn sounded nervous.

 

“Yeah,” Poe said.  “I like to eat around eight.”

 

“Eight,” Finn nodded, “Good to know.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe arrived the next Saturday at seven to find Finn already sitting in a booth at the back.  Poe smiled as he walked up.  “I thought I said eight.”

 

“Seems neither one of us is good with clocks, then, huh?”

 

For the next four Saturdays, Poe and Finn met at the diner.

 

**# # # #**

 

Bastian called out, “Knock, knock?”

 

“Bedroom,” came Finn’s reply.

 

Bastian walked in and raised an eyebrow.  “You got an op?”

 

“Something like that,” Finn said, stuffing clothes into a duffle.

 

Bastian frowned.  He knew that Finn still hadn’t accepted Leia Organa’s offer to join the Resistance, so there was no reason he’d have an op.  He looked at his watch.  “Aren’t you supposed to meet Poe soon?”

 

Finn stopped.  “How do you know—”

 

“That you have a crush on that boy?  I’ve known since the first time I saw you together.  And Jess told me you two have been having breakfast together every Saturday.”

 

“Right,” Finn said, moving back to his packing.

 

“So?”

 

“So?”

 

“You headed out to breakfast soon?”

 

“Not gonna make it this week,” Finn said.

 

“Because of the op,” Bastian said.

 

“Yeah, because of the op.”

 

_You’re lying_.  Bastian turned.  “Well, I won’t keep you.  Just wanted to drop off the taser you loaned me.”  He placed it on Finn’s bed and started to the door, then hesitated.  “You know, Finn, if you wanted to talk—”

 

“I’m fine.  Just got to get ready for this op,” Finn said.

 

“Yeah,” Bastian said.  “The op.”  He walked away.

 

**# # # #**

 

As he walked into the diner, Poe was surprised to find Bastian, not Finn, waiting for him.

 

He frowned, walking up to the table.

 

“Well, it’s great to see you too, sweetheart.”

 

“Sorry,” Poe said, sliding into the booth.  “I just…”  He closed his eyes.  _Don’t be dead.  Don’t be dead._   “Where’s Finn?” 

 

Bastian said, “He’s fine.”

 

Poe opened his eyes.  “Yeah?”

 

Bastian nodded.  “He’s just…”  Bastian picked up a spoon and started slowly stirring his coffee.  “I’ve known Finn a long time, and…”  He looked up at Poe.  “He’s getting ready to run.”

 

“Run?”

 

“He thinks he’s putting you in danger, thinks he’d be a drain on the Resistance if he joined up.  What with Snoke still out there somewhere and all…”

 

“But Snoke isn’t just after him!  Snoke is going after the Resistance!  Finn isn’t a drain, he’s—”

 

Bastian held up a hand.  “Preaching to the choir here.”  He lowered his hand.  “I’m just telling you.  Finn has always had this thing about other people getting hurt because of him, and he thinks he’s protecting us when he goes deep underground.”

 

“He’s done this before?”

 

Bastian nodded.  “A few years ago.  A kid who used to work with us named Slip got killed during a job.  Finn took it hard, decided that he was putting all of us in danger.  He only came back because Iolo and Karé tracked him down and forced him to.”  He sighed.  “If you want my read on things, he was raised in an environment where you weren’t supposed to love anyone else or care about them and when he feels those feelings, he gets scared.  Like, rationally, Finn knows it’s a good thing to care about people, but,” he shook his head, “it scares him.”

 

Poe nodded.

 

“And seeing as he has all these feelings for you…”

 

Poe choked on his breath.  “For me?”

 

Bastian rolled his eyes.  “Don’t even pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

 

“But—”

 

“Poe, I just said don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

 

Poe looked down.  “So, his feelings for me?

 

“Mean I’m pretty sure he’s getting ready to run.”

 

“But he hasn’t yet?”

 

Bastian shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.  “Not yet, but within the next few hours or so, I’d guess.”

 

Poe leaned back with a smile.  “Then we still have time.”

 

Bastian put down his coffee cup and smiled.  “That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear.”

**# # # #**

Finn awoke, tied to a chair in a dim room.  _What the kriff_ , he thought.  He slowly raised his head, his neck stiff.  He stretched it, letting out a groan.  He looked around.  _In my own damn bunker_ , he thought.

 

There was movement nearby.  Someone opened the door and came in.  They walked to the far side of the room, grabbed a chair and drug it over.

 

Finn locked eyes on his captor, who threw him a charming smile.

 

“Morning,” Poe said.

 

“Morning,” Finn said.  He pulled on the ties binding his hands behind the chair.  They were fairly loose.  He immediately started working on them.

 

Poe turned his chair backwards and sat down, putting his arms across the back.  “A little birdy told me we needed to have a talk.”

 

“Bastian?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Finn snorted.

 

“He said you were going to run.”

 

“What if I was?”

 

Poe rolled his eyes, ignoring the question.  “Why?”

 

Finn shot Poe a look. 

 

“No,” Poe said.  “The whole _Snoke-is-still-out-there_ crap might work for someone else, but not for me.  Snoke isn’t just after you, either.”

 

“Poe, I’m…”  Finn took a breath.  He really didn’t know how he wanted to finish that sentence.

 

“If you really don’t want to be a part of the Resistance, fine.  Great.  Wherever you want to go, tell me and I’m there.”

 

Finn looked up at that.

 

“But just so you know,” Poe said, getting up and pushing the chair out of the way, “you have people here who care about you.  People who will have your back.  They want to see First Order fall as much as you do.”

 

“What about you,” Finn asked.

 

“What about me?”

 

“I thought you were out.  Gonna go up north to fly charters or something.”

 

Poe sighed, stepping forward.  He cupped Finn’s cheek.  “If they’re coming after you, I don’t think I can be out, can I?”

 

Finn leaned into Poe’s hand for a moment and then pulled away.  “Poe, I don’t want to drag you back into this.”

 

“Man, it sounds like last month all over again.  Just in reverse.”  Poe leaned in until he was nearly nose to nose with Finn.  “I’m in love with you, you idiot.  I think I get drug back in whether you want it or not.”

 

“You’re in love with me?”

 

“Finn, you are not this dense.”

 

“No, I’m not,” Finn said, the ropes binding him falling to the ground as his hands moved, quickly grabbing Poe and pulling him in for a kiss.

 

**# # # #**

 

Bastian looked at Jess.  “It’s been awful quiet in there.”

 

Jess rolled her eyes, pushing off the wall and walking over to Finn’s “interrogation” room.  “I swear, if those two haven’t figured out how to talk about their kriffing feelings, then…”  She threw open the door to find Poe in Finn’s lap, his hands on Finn’s face.  Finn’s hands were under Poe’s shirt and the two of them were making absolutely obscene noises as they kissed.

 

“Oh, ew,” Jess shrieked.  “We didn’t need to see that!”

 

Bastian stuck his head in, smiling.  “Speak for yourself, sweetie,” he laughed.  Then, he said a bit louder, “So I guess this means you two won’t be coming to lunch with us?”

 

Poe pulled out of the kiss long enough for Finn to say, “Go away, Bastian.”

 

“You too, Jess,” Poe said.  As he tried to move back into the kiss, he somehow managed to fall out of Finn’s lap.

 

Jess and Bastian both started laughing.

 

Finn smiled down at Poe.  “Seriously, how are you a spy?”

 

Poe chuckled.  “I really don’t know.”

 

Finn moved off the chair and crawled over, pushing Poe to the floor.  Just before he began kissing Poe again, he turned to the door.  “You guys are probably gonna want to leave now.”

 

Poe made a happy little noise as Finn turned his attention back to him.

 

Jess moved to close the door as Bastian said, “I think this means Poe and Finn are going to be sticking around for a while.”

 

“Looks like it,” Jess said, wrapping an arm around Bastian as they walked down the hall.  “Now, the question is, where do we want to go eat?”  She smiled as she pulled a wallet out of her pocket.  “Poe’s treat.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to everyone who read and to all the wonderful people who left kudos and comments!
> 
> And of course, a big thank you to Sourlander, who inspired this whole thing!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos make my little heart go pitter-pat.


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